You Dreamed of Empires by Alvaro Enrigue is part historical novel (the reimagined meeting of Cortes and Montezuma) and part satire, presented in a hallucinatory maze of magic mushrooms. The book got rave reviews from literary critics, but at times I had trouble sorting out the Aztec names and politics. The book is meta and self-consciously clever. Here’s a collection of reviews in Book Marks:

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray is a BFB – literally, being 643 pages, and metaphorically in the sense of how deeply the author takes us into the characters of an Irish family in a small town whose prosperous life falls apart due to an economic depression and the unraveling of their own inner lives which, themselves, have tragic origins. Some reviewers call it “rollicking” and a “tragi-comedy,” but, to me, it’s tragedy all the way, epic and intimate, told by an author who cares about his characters and makes us care about them, too. This novel was nominated for the Booker Prize, which was won by fellow Irish writer Paul Lynch for Prophet Song, but I think The Bee Sting is better. The writing is both “literary” and accessible and of even, high quality throughout. Each family member has a well-developed plot arc strong enough to carry a book of its own. I’d like to see The Bee Sting made into to a multi-season Netflix series. The Washington Post calls it an instant classic:

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray is a BFB – literally, being 643 pages, and metaphorically in the sense of how deeply the author takes us into the characters of an Irish family in a small town whose prosperous life falls apart due to an economic depression and the unraveling of their own inner lives which, themselves, have tragic origins. Some reviewers call it “rollicking” and a “tragi-comedy,” but, to me, it’s tragedy all the way, epic and intimate, told by an author who cares about his characters and makes us care about them, too. This novel was nominated for the Booker Prize, which was won by fellow Irish writer Paul Lynch for Prophet Song, but I think The Bee Sting is better. The writing is both “literary” and accessible and of even, high quality throughout. Each family member has a well-developed plot arc strong enough to carry a book of its own. I’d like to see The Bee Sting made into to a multi-season Netflix series. The Washington Post calls it an instant classic:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/08/22/bee-sting-booker-prize-longlist-review

Poem-Mike Wilson, photo-Eric Muhr  “Sonnet Psalm of a Sensitive Person,” appeared in Gyroscope

Western Lane is a short debut novel by Chetna Maroo, winner of The Paris Review’s Plimpton Prize for Fiction in 2022. Eleven-year-old Gopi has been trained by her father to be an excellent squash player. When her mother dies, her father ramps up the training, and the absence of her mother is ever-present. Other characters include Gopi’s two sisters and extended family members, as well as Ged, a boy who plays squash (upon whom Gopi has a crush), and Ged’s mother (upon whom the father may have a crush). The interactions between the characters is so understated that the nuances of it become overwhelming. Delicate, powerful writing in this coming-of-age story that culminates in a squash tournament. I recommend it. Here’s what Kirkus Reviews says:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/chetna-maroo/western-lane

Poem by Mike Wilson, photo by Bunny Wilson

Between a Bird Cage and a Bird House is a collection of the poems of Lexington poet (and proprietor of Accents Publishing) Katerina Stoykova published by the University Press of Kentucky. Some of the poems are from prior collections. Katerina’s voice is distinctive and gentle. I absolutely love these poems and recommend the book. Here’s Dianne Aprile’s review in Still with a full description of the style and themes:

https://www.stilljournal.net/bookreview-aprile-stoykova.php

Poem by Mike Wilson, photo by Zac Nielson

Words by Mike Wilson, photo by Jen Theodore

Prophet Song, by Paul Lynch, narrates the breakdown of society under the rise of fascism from the point of view of a family resisting it. Set in a version of Ireland, the tale is told through the eyes of Eilish, a mother trying to save her husband and children and some sort of domestic normality as the unraveling and oppression accelerates all around them. The prose is first person, very immediate (even thoughts are portrayed like fleeting sense impressions) and intimate. Those of us in America might look at it as a preview of what life could become if Donald Trump exercises control over the Department of Justice and, unlike characters in Prophet Song, there’s no place for us to escape. Lengthy, run-on, stream-of consciousness prose may wear out some readers. This book won the 2023 Booker Prize. Reviews mostly are over-the-top raves. Here’s more restrained applause from NPR:

https://www.npr.org/2023/12/11/1218053727/book-review-paul-lynch-booker-prize-winning-prophet-song